Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sounds much more simple than it actually is. But I'll tell you, it seems to be working. When he was smaller, I felt myself getting the creeps, every time I discussed Tallen with the "expert" from our local school system. I never liked the idea of subjecting him to things that bothered him over and over, so he would develop tolerance for them. I sent him to preschool for one day and discovered that he was given "quiet time" because he preferred to read the signs around the gym, instead of joining in play with the others. For the record, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. He was practically born with a compulsion to read absolutely any word that crosses his path and I had explained this to them ahead of time.

Anyway, I kept him home and turned him loose with a computer. I have subscriptions to a couple of the paid online home schools and many of the free resources. Honestly, I have just tried my best to feed his need for knowledge in every way possible.He often gets obsessed with certain subjects and is able to research each of them, until he is satisfied that he's exhausted all avenues. He is an amazing reader that can tell you just about anything you would like to know about Space, trees, the human anatomy, China, Africa, and on and on. He just turned 7 years old!

Without ever once bombarding him with things that he had severe aversions to, I have still found myself with a child that no longer screams when the vacuum is on. A child that actually wears clothes all the time now. A child that I can now have a one on one conversation with, while he looks me in the eye. He does still have some issues with social cues and walks on his toes, but that is it. Otherwise, he is just an amazing little boy that wows people with conversations about things that are way beyond their understanding. It just goes to show, the "experts" do not know everything. Sometimes, a parent just needs to follow their gut instinct.